I'm always thinking about taking wickets and not restricting batsmen, says Amit Mishra

“Dhoni always tells me that I should try to spin the ball as that is my strength” – Mishra

Leg-spinners might go for runs, but their importance lies in the fact that they have the knack to pick up wickets as well.

Indian leg-spinner Amit Mishra, after his Man of the Match performance against arch-rivals Pakistan in India’s opening game in World T20 said that he is always thinking about taking wickets and not restricting the batsmen, and is not afraid to flight the ball which are the essential qualities for an attacking leg-spinner.

“I am not afraid of flighting the ball because I always think about taking wickets and not restricting the batsmen. I believe you can never succeed trying to stop the flow of runs instead of trying to take wickets. If you try to take wickets, you can put pressure on the batsman,” Mishra told reporters after being awarded the Man of the Match for his bowling performance (2 for 22) against Pakistan in their ICC World Twenty20 match on 21st March 2014.

Mishra said captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s tips help him bowl better and the skipper has always encouraged him to stay true to his strengths.

“The captain [Dhoni] always tells me that I should try to spin the ball as that is my strength. He tells me that I have the ability to beat the batsman in flight. That’s how I got Ahmed Shehzad and Shoaib Malik out. In T20 cricket, more variations you have, the more advantageous position you are in,” Mishra said after India beat Pakistan by seven wickets.

Mishra feels that his positive mind set helps him to grab opportunities with both hands. “I was never down on confidence when I was not playing.”

“The key is to remain positive and I tried to shut out negative things. In our team, the good thing is that everyone is told to remain ready as anyone could be called. When you get your chance, you need to grab it with both hands,” he said.

Mishra said his good performance against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2014 game also helped him a lot.

“It’s always a special feeling to perform against a side like Pakistan. I bowled well against them in the last Asia Cup and that also helped. There is always a pressure of playing against Pakistan but I would never say extra pressure. That is always there when you are representing your country,” he said.

Mishra also said that he has worked really well for his fitness in gyms. “I have worked on my fitness during the gym sessions. However I don’t agree with the critics that I am slow through the air. I am still working on my bowling talking to the coaches, captain and the senior players.”

Even though Mishra has played only 2 T20I matches for India, he played 117 T20 first class matches including the IPL matches. He said that his experience in IPL helps him a lot where he plays against someone best in the business.

“Obviously, IPL has helped a lot to improve my bowling having competed with the best batsmen in the world. In fact, most of the talent in Indian cricket is coming through IPL as it is providing an ideal platform to the talented players,” he concluded.